Net trawl for ground fishing



Sept. 21 1926.

- R. c. MUDGE.

NET TRAWL FOR GROUND msnmc Filed Oct.

nVerz/Zar and 0f Madge aym Patented Sept. 21, 1926. V h g I l f lifihfighdil UNITED STATES I RAYMOND c. MUDGE, or nasal? nosroN, i/rassnonnsnrrs, essroNo'n To mesa rm FISHING COMPANY, 017 Bosro nrnssncnnsnrra aoonroaarroN or MAINE;

NET TRAWL non'G RoU'Nn FISHING.

Application filedfi'ctober 5, 1923. Serial No. 6G6,692.

This invention relates to so-called otter each other a distance much greater than trawls, that is, trawls adapted to operate the width of the mouth of the bag, thereby near the ground instead of'near the surface directing fish into the mouth of the bag of the water. One of the chief difliculties throughout a path much wider than the in operating trawls of this character is to width of the bag mouth. The vibrationof 60 maintain the mouth of the net properly the connectives 7 also tends to direct the spaced from the ground, this difficulty being fish toward the mouth of the net. The particularly pronounced where the ground floats 9 preferably have sufficient buoyancy is uneven. If the mouth is spaced too far not only to buoy the top of the bagmouth v 10 from the ground many. of the ground fish upwardly, but also to lift the bag substan- 65" are passed over, whereas if the net drag-s tiall'y clear of the ground (although the bag on the ground the wear is excessive and'in may sometimes touch the ground lightly, rocky ground breakages are frequent] particularly if the ground is uneven).-' The The principal object of the present intickler chain 11, which bows rearwardly vention is to overcome the aforesaid diiiisomewhat in advance of the 'bottoma be- 70 'culty and to providean otter trawl which neath the overhanging top of the bag, drags I will automatically maintain a correct posion the 'ground'an'd directs the fish upwardly tion relatively to'the ground. Another obinto the mouthof the bag. By'connecting j ect is to collectfish from a larger cross-- the ends of the chain through swivels the sectional area of water with a net'of usual chain is permitted toroll oil-the ground, 75

size. thereby reducingthe friction, preventing Still further objects will be evident from :fouling of the chain and kee'pi'ng the chain 1- the otter boards; and

i the concrete example of the invention illusbright so as to be'more effective in directing trated in the accompanying drawings, in the fish upwardly. While the centralfpor 25 which: Y I, tion of the chain drags on the ground, the so Fig. 1 is a top plan of the trawl inopera ends are supported by the floats (except in tive position; .7 L 1 the event of the'mouthof the bag contacting Fig. 2 is a side elevation" of the trawlj" with the ground) and these nondragging Fig; 3 is anenlarged side view. ofone of portions of the chain counterbalance the I g 7 l i buoyancyof the-fioatslwThu's if the mouth s5 Fig. 4 is ajdetail showing the connection of the bag approaches too closely to the of: the ticlcler chainhereinafter described. ground owing to unevenness ofthe ground I lhe particular :embodiment of the invensurface for example, the floats are. entirely V tion-shown in the drawings comprises a net relieved from the weight of the chain, and bag 1 tapering toward its rearward closed the floats tend to lift the mouth of the bag 90 end 2, and having a mouth bounded by the to the proper elevation; on the contrary sides 3, top at and bottom 5. The sides are if themouth of the bag is spaced too far connected to the-otter boards 6 through long from the ground more of the chain is sup cables 7, and the otter boards are pulled ported by the floats and this added weight 40 by hawsers 8. Floats 9 are connected 2" tends to pull themouth of the bag"down-. 95 intervals to the top 4 of the mouth of the wardly'into its proper position relatively to bag and a tickler chain 11' is connected at the ground.' g the ends to the means for pulling the bag, Fromthe foregoing, it will be evident preferably to the rings 12 in" the lower that the present invention offers the followcorners of the mouth of the net, the chain. ing advantages; By virtue of the long con- 100 preferably being-connected throughswivels' nections between the mouth of thebag'and" 13 so that it may roll on the ground as the otterboards fi h gyeRggllectQd f a hereinafter described. 7 Y much wider area, namely, an area bounded In operation the otter boards 6, which on the'sides by the otter boards since the are heavy, slide on the ground in advance of boards movingthrough-the water frighten 1 05 the bag as illustrated in Fig. 2. Owing to the fish and cause them tofdefiect the r the arrangement of the connections between course toward the mouth of the net. This the boards and hawsers 8, the boards incline long connection between the bag mouth and outwardly when pulled through the water, otter boards also permits the floats 9 to hold I thus causing the boards to be separated from the mouth of the net substant ally clear of spaced from the ground.

the ground while the otter boards slide alongthe ground. The tickler ll dragging along the ground frightens the fish and causes them, to swim. upwardly into the mouth of the net, thereby catching fish which would be otherwise passed over; and

by connecting the chain 11 to the sides 01": the net mouth instead of to the otter boards or otherparts of the pulling connections, the tickler chainfurther serves to counteract the buoyancy of the lioats,'thereby to maintain the mouth ot the net properly By mak ng the chain 11 weaker than the pulling connec- V tions, the chain will break when it hooks over a sharp rock or other obstruction which it can not dislodge or roll over, thereby ierely rendering the tickl'er inoperative to direct fish into the mouth of the net without otherwise interfering with the function ing of the trawl. However, by making the 'tlckler 1n the form of a rolling chain, more obstructions are passed over which would break a non rolling cable.

I claim: V 1. "A net'trawl of the type adapted to operate near the ground comprising a net bag, otter boards adapted to slide on the ground, connectlons between, said boards and the opposite sides of the mouth of said bag respectively, floats connected to the top or" said mouth, said connections being long andthe floats being sufficiently buoyant to hold said mouth substantially clear of the ,ground while the boards slide on the ground, and a flexible elongate weight connected only at its ends to said bag near itsmouth to drag on the ground and counteract th'e buoyancy of said floats.

2. A net'trawl of the type adapted to --operate nearthe ground'comprisinga net b g ptter boards adapted to slide on the ground, connections between said boards and the opposite sides of the mouth of said bag respectively, floats connected to the top of said mouth, said connections being long and the floats being sufficiently buoyant to hold said mouth, substantially clear'o't, the ground while the boards slide on the ground, the net having an upper roof part,

side parts and a lower floor part, the leading edge of the floor part being substantially to the rear of the leading edge of the roof part and means dragging the sea bot; tom intermediate said leading edges in a horizontal direction to start the fish up from the sea bottom and into the net,

3. A net trawl of the type adapted t operate near the ground comprising a net side parts and a lower floor part, the lead: I

edge of the floor part being substantially to the rear of the leadingedgeof the root part and a chain swivelly attached to.

the opposite sides of the mouth of the net at the point of connection 01 the net with the otter boards, said chain rolling over the sea bot-tom'and being of a length to lie to the rear of the leading edge oft-he roof part of the net and in advance of the leading edge of the floor part,'substantially as and for .the purposes described.

Signed by meat Boston,

k iassaehusetts, this 29th day of September, i Y

RAYMOND o. ime. f e 

